Photo: Getty Images
So apparently cows can be potty trained as easily as toddlers if not easier.
According to Huff Post, Scientists put the tasks to the test and 11 out of 16 cows learned to use the "MooLoo" when they had to go. Researchers used a sweet treat to coax the cows to push through a gate and urinate in a special pen. It only took 15 days to train the young calves. That is even faster than some kids.
"The cows are at least as good as children age 2 to 4 years, at least as quick." said study senior author Linsday Matthews, an animal behavioral scientist at New Zealand's University of Auckland.
What started with a half-in-jest question on a New Zealand radio talk show about the very real problem of livestock waste resulted in a serious study. Massive amounts of urine waste is a serious environmental issue. Urine contains nitrogen, and when mixed with feces becomes ammonia, which is an environmental issue with acid rain and other problems.
Cows apparently pee a lot. A single cow can produce about 8 gallons of urine a day. Toilet training animals makes it easier to manage waste products and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Urine is a big problem but it is predicted they could train cows to poop in certain areas too.